Slow-closing faucet



May 1, 1928.

' c. F. M cANN snow" cwsma nucs'r Filed Nov. 22. 1926 Invenfor Patented May 1, 1928.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cum: mi e: em rmcrsco, cnnonm I snow-creams saucer.

Application filed 1mm, 28, 182B. Serial-Io. 148,986.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and reliable slow closing means for a faucet or valve.

In the wash-rooms of hotels and public places, it is the custom to install extensively" on would remain open for a period of time before closing itself. This would allow time for washing, etc. There havelbeen a number of slow-closing faucets on the-market which operate on the by-pass valve principle, allowing the water in a chamber in the faucet to run thru-a very small opening. This type of faucet is expensive to manufacture and also unreliable in operation, due to clogging of needle valve or bypass .valve with alkali, etc. i

valve has been rovided in the form of a water-bellows, w ich is situated below and against the faucet valve in as ecial water chamber. When the faucethan 1c is forced down, this opens the valve and at the same time compresses the water-bellows. This .compression forces the water out quickly thru a small valve in the bellows. The handle is then released and a sprin in the bellows gradually extends the bel ows as the water in the chamber seeps thru the side wallsto fill the partial vacuum thus created. Asthe bellows extends, it forces the valve to slowly close'until a water shut-oi! is accomplished.

Referring to the drawing, the figure show a side view cross-section of the slow-closing faucet. The faucet is shown in cross-section on its central plane, revealing the water pas sages, water chamber, bellows cartridge, valve, valve stem and handle, etc. 1 i

1 is inlet passage for the water. 2 is outlet or nozzle of faucet. 3 isa special cylindrical water chamber or container for slow-motion bellows cartridge. 4 is a threadinder 3. 5 is the valve seat. 6 is a rubber plu valve. 7 is the valve stem. 8 the pus handle. 9 is a water-tight bushin for valve stem. 10 is a screw collar whic screws onto casing 11, of the faucet. 12 is the bellows cartridge which supplies the slow closing motion to the valve and valve stem. This cartridge is a compression bellows and is loosely placed in water chamber 3 and unattached to any of the other meme0 bers of the faucet. The cartridge consists oftheparts as follows; 13 is the top cap of the cartridge shown in side view. 14 is the bottom cap of the cartridge shown in cross-section. 15 is the flexible semi-porous e5 fabric wall of the cartridge. The walls are.

continuous from top to bottom and cemented to the caps, but are, here shown partially cut away. 16 isa compression spring shown inside the flexible walls, which bears against 0 the inside of the top and bottom caps of the a cartridge; This pressure tends to keep the In this invention, a very simplefiand reliable slow closing means for a" faucet or side walls15 stretched or extended normally. Inthe bottom of cap 14 is a small opening or water passage .17. A small flap valve 18 keeps thisvopening normally closed. Normal the valve 6 is pressed upward by spring 16 against valve seat 5, thus shutting off the water from passage 2. In the drawing, however, the valve 6 is shown slightly so depressed for the sake of clearness. Bellows" 12 is normall filled with water.

The operation of the faucet is as follows. Push-handle .8 is depressed which compresses and shortens bellows cartridge 12,

thus compressing spring 16. and wrinkling or folding side walls 15. Since the bellows wasfull of water, this compression drives a considerable portion of the water out thru hole 17 past flap valve 18. The depression of valve 6 allows the water from inlet 1 to flow thru port 19 and out thru nozzle 2. The handle 8 is now released. This'relieves the pressureon cartridge bellows 12 and allows spring 16 to expandthe bellows. This ex- 5 pansion creates a partial vacuum in the bellows which closes valve 18 against the entrance of water into the bellows. However,

thesidevvalls 15 of the cartridge are slightly porous, so that the water in chamber 3 mo gradually seeps thru to the inside of the bellows. This seeping action allows spring 16 to gradually extend the bellows and force valve 6 upward until it presses against seat 5 and shuts off theflow of water in 2, thus turning oil the faucet.

In this slow-elosingfaucet invention, the cartridge bellows supplies the slow-closing shut-off to the valve, and the novelty of the invention resides solely in this water-bellows and in its combination with the valve parts of the faucet. However, this cartridge bellows is applicable to other slow motion mechanisms such as time-element electrical relays etc. Also the bellows may function in other mediums such as oil for example.-

It is to be noted that by unscrewing cap 4, cartridge 12 can easily be removed and another one substituted in its place in case of wear, etc. Also by making cartridges with walls of different porosity, various closing times can be obtained.

' As shown in the drawing, the slow motion bellows, when acted'upon by the hand push rod, compresses and drives part of the contained water thru a one-way valve into the water chamber. \Vhen expanding under the action of its compression spring, the bellows draws water from the chamber to the inside thru the porous walls, giving a slow motion expansion. The bellows, however, could be designed on the same principle, but working in a reverse manner. That is, the bellows could be normally contracted i11- stead of expanded, by using a tension spring instead of a compression spring. Also the small bellows valve could be reversed, allowing water to be quickly drawn in when the bellows is extended b the action of a pull rod attached to it. lllpon release, the bellows would slowly contract under-the force of the tension spring and drive the water thru' its walls into the water chamber, thus giving the required slow motion to the attached rod.

W'hile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I wishit to be understood that I do not con fine myself to the precise details of the construction herein set forth, by way of illustration as it is apparent that many changes and variations may be made therein by those skilled in the art, without departing or exceedingthe scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a slow closing valve mechanism, a valve operatable by a hand push rod, a bellows, a fluid chamber containing the bellows and communicating with the fluid inlet, the side walls of the bellows 0f flexible porous material allowing slow entrance of fluid from chamber thru walls into bellows, a pair of opposed rigid caps mounted on the bellows axially with the push rod, a compression spring within the bellows acting be tween the two caps to normally expand the bellows and force the valve into the valve seat, a valved opening in one cap for allowing quick passage of fluid out of the bellows into fluid chamber upon compression of bellows by action of the push rod.

2. In a slow closing valve mechanism, a fluid chamber communicating with the fluid inlet, a bellows within the fluid chamber whose ex ansion supplies a. slow closing motion to t e valve, walls of the bellows of flexible porous material allowing slow entrance of fluid from chamber thru walls into bellows, a compression spring within the bellows for expanding the bellows and for supporting the flexible walls, a valved opening in bellows for allowing quick passage of fluid out of bellows into fluid chamber upon compression of bellows during opening of valve mechanism.

3. In a slow motion mechanism, a fluid chamber, a bellows within the fluid chamber whose expansion supplies avslow motion to a desired movable member, walls of bellows of flexible porousmaterial allowing slow en trance of fluid from chamber thruwalls into bellows, a compression spring forexpanding lows into uid chamber upon compression of bellows.

.4. In a slow notion mechanism, a fluid;

chamber, a bellows within the fluid. chamber whose expansion supplies'a slow motion to a desired movable member, walls of bellows of flexible porous material allowing slow entrance of fluid fromchamber thru walls into bellows, a compression A spring within bellows for expanding the bellows and also. for supporting the flexible walls, a valved opening in bellowsfor allowing quick passageof fluid out of bellows into fluid chamber upon compression of bellows.

5. In a slow motion mechanism, a fluid chamber, within the fluid chamber a spring actuated bellows havin meansfor allow' a quick exhaust of flui from thebellowsv on compression and allowing slow intake to the bellows on expansion, an external member operated by the motion ofthe bellows.

6. In a slow motion mechanism, a fluid chamber, within the fluid chamber a spring actuated bellows, an external member foroperating the bellows and when released operated b the spring actuated bellows,

means in t e bellows for allowing a quick. transfer of fluid between bellows and chamher when bellows is operated upon by external member, the wallsof the bellows allowing a slow transfer of: fluid between chamber and bellows when spring actuated bellows "operates upon released external I 1,008,100 I r p g actuated bellows, an external member for the bellows of flexible porous material for operating the bellows and when released allowing a slow transfer of fluid between operated by the spring actuated bellows, a chamber and bellows when spring actuated vvalved opening in the bellows for allowing bellows operates upon released external a quick transfer of fluid between the bellows member.

and chamber when the bellows is operated upon by the external member,the walls or p I CLYDE F. MGCANN. 

